


Are you afraid of the dark?

by alineppenhallow



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Happy Ending, Horror, M/M, Monsters, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-19 13:28:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8210255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alineppenhallow/pseuds/alineppenhallow
Summary: Magnus and Alec are pursued by a creation of Valentine…





	

**Author's Note:**

> For Halloween...
> 
> Also my first real attempt at horror soooo let me know.

Alec’s back hits the wall with an audible thump, his eyes fall shut as he gasps for breath. When he can’t get enough oxygen slumped against the wall he bends over, clutching his knees with shaky hands as the air whistles through his nose. Magnus watches him worriedly, the slow sinking move reminding Magnus of an arthritic geriatric. Alec’s broken ribs must be hell but they’ve had no time for an iratze and Alec had refused Magnus’ magic, wanting to save as much of Magnus’ energy as possible. 

Magnus isn’t doing any better than Alec. The wound on his side slices through skin and muscle and pulls painfully every time he puts weight on his leg. He’s only saved from bleeding out by the small amount of magic he pushes into the wound. He struggles to slow his own breathing as he fights the darkening blur curling around the edges of his vision.

Magnus keeps his gaze partially on the driveway leading up to the decrepit property and on Alec as he slowly collapses onto the floor. Alec looks like he’s on the verge of throwing up, exhaustion shaking his weakened body. His face has taken on a sickly paleness and there’s sweat running down the curve of his jaw and cheeks like rapid rivers. 

While the sight of a sweaty and shaky Alexander would normally drive Magnus to a hard reboot of his facilities, the circumstances are not ideal and it only serves to concern him more.  

Every single breath burns and the silky shirt Magnus had adorned for the evening is plastered to his frame like a second skin. He’s not even worried about the damage being done to the expensive fabric. He’s more concerned with --

“What...was...that thing?” Alec asks, every exhale a wheeze. 

Magnus has no fucking clue what  _ it _ was. Which is a terrifying thought. 

Whatever Valentine has been doing he’s managed to create something brand new. A living nightmare to stalk them. 

Literally in this case. 

And Magnus has no idea how to stop it. 

It’s far too dark to truly see past the crumbling stone columns that mark entry into the property they’ve taken shelter in but he strains to catch even a glimpse of their pursuer amongst the shadows. 

“Magnus…” Alec pants, looking up at him and Magnus reaches out and runs a shivering hand through Alec’s sweat slicked hair. 

“I have no idea,” He answers honestly and quietly, unable to hide the fear in his chest weighing him down, like a pendulum slowly ticking away a quiet unignorable clock. Magnus licks his dry, cracking lips and shuts his eyes. Forcibly pushing away the fear for a moment and trying to grab at some semblance of control over the situation but it slips through his fingers like sand. 

Magnus’ gaze flicks back to the driveway for a split second before it’s back on Alec. 

“Alec we need -” He stops himself, swallowing thickly. Like a drizzle of cold water down his spine, an awful realisation curls around Magnus’ mind. His insides twist away from it and Magnus struggles with the desire to deny it, to close his eyes and curl up on the ground. His body caves inward, the instinct almost too strong to fight.  

“Magnus?” Alec questions quietly, worry warring with his instincts. 

Magnus opens his eyes and find Alec’s gaze. He reaches out, just one shaking hand and Alec grabs it, frowning for a moment before he realises what’s shaken Magnus so badly. His wide eyes flick to the wall separating him from the outside of the world. 

“It’s out there?” He asks unnecessarily. His voice quiet and hesitant. 

Magnus doesn’t want to check. He has to though, he knows he does. They have to be sure. So he pulls back a little, the movement slow and jerky as he fights the basic and primal instinct to hide. Magnus peers around the splintered rotting wood of the door frame. 

He squeezes Alec’s hand and that’s enough of an answer for Alec. 

Through the thick darkness and rustling leaves are two dull glowing eyes, a pale sickly yellow barely piercing the darkness. He could almost fool himself into thinking they're nothing more than fireflies, if not for the unnatural stillness of the orbs and the dark outline of elongated thin limbs against the shadows. 

Magnus feels ice snap out from his gut, growing through his veins like a dead tree wrapping it's frozen cracking branches around his lungs. He can barely breathe, nothing more than few stuttering empty exhales that provide none of the comfort a lung full of air can give. 

“We have to run,” Alec says, pushing himself up on quivering legs. He stumbles and catches himself on the wall, using the crumbling plaster to push himself up again, all while still holding onto Magnus’ hand in a bone crushing grip. 

They have to run. 

But to where? This  _ thing _ has pursued over half the forest now! It’s shown no signs of exhaustion and hasn’t been fooled by Alec’s runes or Magnus’ magic. They’re running out of places to escape too. They’re running out of energy...

Alec’s nearly done. Even shadowhunters have their limit and no stamina rune can pull back enough energy for this, he’d probably topple over in a stiff breeze. Magnus isn’t any better, his magic is fritzing, barely able to keep up his glamour on his eyes, he’s so tired and hollowed out. 

It hasn’t moved. 

Waiting, still against the cloak of shadows, it’s eyes a dull empty gleam staring at Magnus. 

It doesn’t even bother to look at Alec as he leans around the empty pane of the nearby window. 

It’s fixated on Magnus. 

A cold dread sinks into Magnus’ stomach as he realises it’s purpose. He almost curses out loud. Too busy fleeing and attempting to evade this new  _ thing _ , they never stopped to ask  _ what _ it was tracking. All these centuries and Magnus is still surprised by the diabolical nature of some people…

It’s not interested in Alec because he’s a Shadowhunter. 

It only attacked Alec to get to Magnus. Batting Alec aside like a fly. 

The icy weight in his gut empties, leaving only resignation. This  _ creature  _ was created for one purpose. To hunt Downworlders. 

Magnus fights back the burn in his eyes, struggling to hold his emotions and thanking whatever deity is watching over them for the small mercy that Alec hasn’t figured it out yet. 

“I think --” Magnus whispers, his voice cracking and causing him to pause as he reigns it back in, “I think I can create a portal.” 

He hadn’t been able to before, the thing hounding their footsteps across dangerous terrain. Magnus hadn’t had a moment free to concentrate on a portal and by the time it’d slowed its pursuit, he hadn’t the energy needed. 

Magnus feels bile burning his throat. It could have killed them already... _ it’s playing with them _ . Herding them like frightened cattle into a corner, racing them into exhaustion. It’s not just a living breathing nightmare, it’s a fucking monster.  

Alec’s head snaps round to look at him, a dark frown marring his face. Magnus doesn’t look at him, just keeps his gaze on the dull eyes of the thing waiting in the dark.  _ Just waiting. _ Because it knows they’re at the end of the chase, it doesn’t even need to pace like the predator it is. 

It’s over. 

“Magnus --”

“I can get us back to the institute but I need some of your strength,” Magnus says and Alec abandons his stance by the glassless window to crowd up against Magnus. A line of comforting warmth against Magnus’ side, thawing the cold fear. 

“Whatever you need,” Alec promises, tangling their fingers together. Magnus swallows thickly around a wet lump lodged high in his throat. He pulls their hands up, dipping his head just enough to place a gentle kiss against the back of Alec’s hand.

The creature clicks and cracks, the sound like popping bones echoing in the dark, it’s version of a growl as it watches them with empty eyes. It senses the final act of this game of cat and mouse.

Magnus keeps his eyes on the monster, using their clasped hands to maneuver Alec behind him. He reluctantly twists his fingers out of the comforting tangle and presses his palm firmly against Alec’s chest. 

Magnus would love to look at Alec. To take him in one last time. For the last thing he see’s to be someone he cares about. 

But he knows the moment he looks away, breaks the stalemate between him and the monster. It’ll be over. 

Magnus can send Alec home or he can die with one last comforting vision. There’s really no contest. He pulls at the threads of his magic as he feels Alec’s hand cover his own over Alec’s chest. Drawing drabs of strength from Alec like sucking up the last dredges of a drink through a straw. Alec sways against him but doesn’t fight it, it makes Magnus yearn for tomorrow. Almost keening with the grief of the lifetime they could have shared. 

He uses it as the last fuel to spark the portal into existence. 

The portal crackles to life behind Alec, splintering out like broken glass. Magnus doesn’t hesitate, with the last of his strength he pushes Alec. It’s not much and on a normal day it wouldn’t have even phased Alec but Alec is exhausted and drained of his strength. He tumbles backwards, limbs flying out as he struggles to stay upright. 

Magnus can’t stop himself, after everything he’d can’t help it, he looks back at Alec as he begins to collapse into the flickering portal. He can  _ feel _ the creature move. Silent and unnatural, it doesn’t crack a twig or cause the air around it to move. He has seconds to take Alec in before the thing is on him. 

If a lifetime wasn’t going to be enough then the space between a second is nothing but damn it if he doesn’t make the most of it. Magnus sees in Alec’s eyes the exact moment it clicks for him just what Magnus has done, what his fate will be. It saddens Magnus to see the fear for him reflected in Alec’s hazel gaze. He’d prefer to avoid leaving Alec with that kind of memory but it can’t be helped. He knows this will eat away at Alec, as a natural protector this is probably his worst nightmare but the idea of Alec dying to protect Magnus from a monster that has no interest in him is just as bad for Magnus. 

Magnus smiles softly hoping to at least offer some kind of comfort, to lessen the sting of what's about to happen. 

He turns back to the thing. 

It’s a mere few feet from him, patiently waiting for his full attention and Magnus’ gut rolls. There’s an almost gleeful air to the creature, it’s featureless face giving nothing away but there’s a feeling prickling at the cold sweat gathering down Magnus’ back. It’s enjoying this. 

Up close it’s more terrifying than the glimpses they’d caught over their shoulders. A solid outline of pure darkness, not quite a body, more an absence of light. It doesn’t breath, it doesn’t twitch...there is nothing natural about the creature in front of him and Magnus feels the fear numbing every muscle in his body. 

He chokes as fingers curl around the collar of his shirt and between one blink and the next he’s through the portal. The imprint of the creature reaching for him though the closing portal flickers behind his eyelids like an overexposed photo as Magnus stares up at the ceiling lights of Alec’s bedroom in the Institute. That’ll haunt him for a long time...

He’s lying on Alec’s chest, the comforting rise and fall of Alec’s breath kick starting his own lungs back into work as the warm realisation settles over them both. They survived...they got away from it…

Fucking hell Magnus needs a drink.

“I had enough left for my speed rune…” Alec mumbles sleepily, his fingers curling and loosening across Magnus’ stomach like he’s trying to keep his grip on Magnus despite exhaustion dragging him under Morpheus’ spell. 

  
“Stubborn nephilim,” Magnus laughs wetly and oh so fondly, his fingers tangling with Alec’s loose ones. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](https://alineppenhallow.tumblr.com) & [Twitter](https://twitter.com/alineppenhallow)  
> 


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